MURFREESBORO – Middle Tennessee State University police are asking for help finding the tipster who led them to a suspect in on-campus burglaries in August, the agency said in a press release.

A tip from August led to the arrest of Dharmeshbh Patel, 29, of Lebanon, who was charged with one count of burglary.

Dharmeshbh Patel(Photo: Courtesy of RCSO)

On Aug. 11, MTSU issued a campus-wide email alert asking for help identifying a subject in a photo related to and possibly involved in burglaries to and thefts from offices on campus.

MTSU Crime Stoppers board member Travis Smith said the campus community responded and one of the tips led investigators to obtain a grand jury indictment.

“The information Crime Stoppers received helped detectives with the university police department to obtain a grand jury indictment on the person pictured in this alert,” MTPD Detective Capt. Jason Wofford said.

Patel subsequently turned himself in and was processed Nov. 13 at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center and released later that day on a $10,000 bond. His arraignment date was set for Jan. 8 in Circuit Court.

“Since an arrest has been made in this case, the reward has been issued,” Smith said. “We just need the tipster to call 615-893-7867 to make arrangements to collect it.”

He added that individuals who have information about a crime that has been committed on property owned by MTSU or within Rutherford County can call Crime Stoppers at 615-893-7867 (STOP).

“And no, these crimes do not have to have already been reported to the police,” he said.

Reach Michelle Willard at 615-278-5164, on Twitter @MichWillard or Rutherford County Business News on Facebook.